Sr. Helen Pinto First Vows
Sr. Mercedes Lopez, U.J., congregational leader, receives her vows.
*First vow celebration of Sr. Helen Pinto, Ursuline of Jesus.
The celebration took place on Friday, September 19, 2014 at St. Joseph Basilica in Edmonton.
She has answered God’s call to live our charism, “contemplating, celebrating, living and announcing the Incarnation”.
WAKE UP THE WORLD!
THE YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE
*What a wonderful gift and invitation we have been given by Pope Francis who has named 2015 the “Year of Consecrated Life”. Pope Francis reminds all religious that they are to “Wake up the world! Be witnesses of a different way of doing things, of acting, of living! It is possible to live differently in the world”, he says. While addressing his remarks specifically to members of religious communities this call reminds us all that together in our varied vocations we are indeed to proclaim the Gospel of Joy through our lives.
The Year of Consecrated Life begins significantly with a call. The call is expressed in three ways:
(1) For renewal within communities of women and men in consecrated life.
(2) For appreciation and gratitude for the multitude of ways that religious sisters, brothers and priests witness to God’s love in lives of prayer and joyful service in the world – those in our contemplative communities and those in lives of active diversified ministry in our Church and world today.
(3) For invitation to the next generation as Pope Francis has said, to “be courageous” in discernment of consecrated life – to commit and to dare to live differently for God.
Please pray that this special year will indeed be a time of renewal, ever deeper commitment and witness, thanksgiving and new life. Younger people, “be courageous” dare to discern a religious vocation, to a life lived fully in Christ and in service. “Wake up the World” with your life!
The Year of Consecrated Life Resources
Appointment of NAVFD Executive Director
Nancy Sullivan, CSJ
* The Board of NAVFD is delighted to announce the appointment of Sister Nancy Sullivan, CSJ as part-time Executive Director of the Association.
Sister Nancy is currently Director of the Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada and she will now combine her two roles.
Sister Nancy brings many gifts to her new position. She has much experience in vocation visioning and ministry, a deep and practical commitment to those who are poor, strong administrative and financial skills, global outreach and international experience.
Sister Nancy will begin her new work on July 1, 2014.
We greatly look forward to working with her as together we build a “culture of vocation” in Canada and partner closely with other Vocation and Formation organizations across the world. Congratulations, Sister Nancy!
Days of Prophecy, Promise and Hope: The 2014 Canadian Vocation Conference
Sister Barbara Reid, O.P. keynote speaker
* Between March 9 – 12th., over 100 participants gathered in Toronto for the 2014 Conference hosted by the National Association of Vocation and Formation Directors (NAVFD). The conference was a celebration of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church and for the world, lived out by all in their various expressions of God’s call to prophecy, promise and hope.
Keynote speaker and Scripture scholar, Sister Barbara Reid, O.P. invited challenging invitations to reflection on the witness of Mary and Elizabeth in the New Testament story of the Annunciation and Visitation. Speaking of prophecy Sr. Barbara said that “Mary teaches us the blessedness of messiness – we are challenged to be attentive to the voice of God in the midst of the messiness of life.” With Mary, we are to sing the Magnificat as a song that announces justice and hope, denouncing the shadows of oppression and violence in our world – proclaiming promise and hope for all. Elizabeth was a woman who found her voice to announce the “Good news” out of which we are called to “accompany people on the margins and to speak up to unjust situations” – to give “voice to the voiceless”. This is born in “contemplative commitment” in order that we may birth new life in God’s promise and hope.
The themes of prophecy, promise and hope were also echoed in the presentations of two other keynote speakers. Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC, Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC), brought “good news” relating to religious vocation in the United States and the wonderful NRVC initiative of “Moving Forward in Hope”, encouraging a lively vision of the future of religious life. Fr. Frank Morrisey spoke of promise and hope as he helped participants reflect on issues concerning mature candidates entering religious communities today.
Vibrant and varied workshops focusing on living the contemplative religious vocation, respecting diversity of call, circles of discernment, evangelization, formation for mature candidates, associate membership of religious communities, creating vocation websites, discernment with young adults and helping children and youth see the place of God’s call in their lives, added to this dynamic conference. Beautiful prayer planned graciously by Sister Mary-Clare Stack, U.J. and Eucharistic celebrations, one presided by his Eminence, Cardinal Thomas Collins, completed the gift of this hope-filled gathering. The flavor of the whole conference was enhanced by the gifted facilitation of Sister Elizabeth Davis RSM.
With much gratitude, The Board of NAVFD, received the wonderful offer by Sisters from Winnipeg to host the next national vocation conference in 2016. Keep watch here for dates and join us for what promises to be another gathering of great hope and trust in God’s love and call for the future.
Fr. Isaac Slater OCSO addresses the call to contemplative religious life
Conference particpants
Pope Francis Dedicates the Year 2015 to Consecrated Life
* At a meeting remarkable by its informality, with the Union of Superiors General of religious men held in Rome in November, 2013 Pope Francis expressed his views on the nature and role of consecrated (religious) life today and for the future. The Holy Father entered into dialogue with the gathered participants. He responded to their questions relating to his expectations for contemporary consecrated life. The superiors asked the Pope, “”What do you ask of us? If you were in our place, what would you do to respond to your call to go to the frontiers, to live the Gospel? What should we hear you calling us to do? What should be emphasized today? What are the priorities?” The following are some of the key remarks made by Pope Francis.
While emphasizing the call to all Christians to radical discipleship, the Holy Father, himself a religious priest, went on to say that men and women members of religious communities are called to follow Jesus in a special way. “They are men and women who can awaken the world. Consecrated life is prophecy. God asks us to fly the nest and to be sent to the frontiers of the world, avoiding the temptation to ‘domesticate’ them. This is the most concrete way of imitating the Lord.”
Pope Francis said that the Church “grows through witness, not by proselytism” … attractive witness, “associated with attitudes which are uncommon: generosity, detachment, sacrifice, self-forgetfulness in order to care for others.” The Holy Father called this the “martyrdom” of religious life that “sounds an alarm” for people. With their life, religious say something significant to the world. He called on religious men and women to witness to a different way of doing things in action and in living. Religious men and women, he said, are to be on the periphery from which reality is best observed and engaged in order that they may be acquainted with the life-experiences of people. If this doesn’t happen then we “run the risk of being abstract ideologists or fundamentalists, which is not healthy.”
The priority of consecrated life, the Holy Father said, is “Prophecy of the Kingdom, which is non-negotiable…Religious are men and women who light the way to the future.” He continued, “Prophecy makes noise, uproar, some say ‘a mess’. But in reality, the charism (or gift of the Spirit to religious communities) of religious people is like yeast: prophecy announces the Spirit of the Gospel.” Charism, however, is not like “a bottle of distilled water. It needs to be lived energetically as well as reinterpreted culturally.”
What a lively and challenging call to all religious women and men and to those who may be discerning a vocation to consecrated life and what a wonderful foundation as we plan for the approaching year dedicated to consecrated life! Watch this site for ideas and resources as we begin those preparations for such a celebration of and re-commitment to the wonderful call to consecrated life in the Church and world.
Congratulations to Pope Francis!
*The National Association of Formation and Vocation Directors of Canada (NAVFD) congratulate Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as our new Pope.
As his chosen name of Francis implies, he walks in simplicity and humility in this difficult time of Church history.
We will pray as he so aptly stated that “we find courage to walk in the presence of God … and to build the church with the blood of Christ, only this way will the church move forward.”
May the Holy Spirit guide and direct Pope Francis with wisdom, grace and courage.
Sister Kathleen Kelly, SSS
NAVFD President
2014 Vocations Conference Announcement – Promises, Prophecy and Hope
*The National Association of Vocation and Formation Directors will be holding their two-yearly conference on March 9-12th, 2014 at the Courtyard Marriot Hotel in Toronto.
The title of the conference is Promises, Prophecy and Hope.
The Keynote speaker next year will be Sister Barbara Reid, O.P. a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sister Barbara is a Scripture Scholar at Catholic Theological Union and a much sought-after speaker. Her publications include: Choosing the Better Part: Women in the Gospel of Luke; The Parables for Preachers and A Retreat with St. Luke.
The Conference will also include numerous lively and important workshops on the topic of Vocation Culture and Formation Ministry as well as opportunities for discussion and relaxation. Mark your calendars well ahead for this hope-filled conference!
Deadlines:
January 15, 2014 — Early Bird Hotel Reservation
February 1, 2014 — Hotel Reservations
February 10, 2014 — Conference Registration
Download the brochure
(Note: it is a 1.3MB PDF)
Enclosed in the brochure you will find the following:
General Conference Information
Conference Announcements – themes and keynote speaker information
Workshop Sessions Details
Environment/Liturgy Committee Participation Form
Registration Form
Hotel Information
Sisters of St. Joseph – A New Congregation!
*Sisters of St. Joseph TOGETHER in God’s hope and joy! Recently, four of the Canadian communities of the Sisters of St. Joseph from the Dioceses of Hamilton, London, Peterborough and Pembroke amalgamated to form a new Congregation, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. This step was taken following a prayerful period of discernment by the Sisters of these communities in order to garner their combined energies and diverse gifts for God’s ongoing mission in the Church and the World. The gathering at which this coming together took place was marked by deep joy, peace and hope in the future of religious life. As one Sister remarked “God’s Spirit with us is palpable”.
The installation of the new Congregational Leadership Circle will take place on the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 2013 at the Cathedral of St. Peter’s-in-Chains in Peterborough, Ontario. The Sisters of St. Joseph, founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France in 1648 are rooted in a mission of unity and reconciliation. Their charism calls them to a living out of Christ’s mission, “That all may be one as You, Father, are in me, and I in You. I pray that all may be one.” (John 17: 21) As Sisters of St. Joseph in the 21st century that mission continues across the world as the various Congregations of St. Joseph strive with God’s grace and love to respond to the deep hungers of peoples’ hearts and the critical and unmet needs of our world today.
“Renew Your Faith” – The Year Of Faith And Vocation Awareness
*This year, 2013 Pope Benedict XV1 declared as a Year of Faith. It is a great invitation to all of us to learn more about our faith but most importantly, to deepen our relationship with God through prayer and through witnessing in our lives to the joy, promise, hope and freedom of the Gospel. This is a special time to ask the question: “How can I follow Jesus more closely in my world and in today’s world?” And the question is a VOCATION QUESTION! What is the special way that I am called this year and beyond it to love God more deeply, to live the Gospel more truly, to be Church in the world, as I witness to love, truth, justice and life? This is a gift in time for VOCATION AWARENESS, for VOCATION COMMITMENT, for VOCATION DEEPENING and through it for evangelization so that the name and love of Jesus Christ will be more known in our world.